


Mortal Kombat: Heart of Kombat

by serindarkwolf09



Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, Dark Past, Explicit Language, F/M, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-03
Updated: 2017-03-04
Packaged: 2018-09-27 22:47:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10055315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serindarkwolf09/pseuds/serindarkwolf09
Summary: Years ago, a Mortal Kombat tournament happened and a lot of fighters were killed in the sake of Earthrealm. One was just an unknown, unremembered fighter, who was not to be remembered by anyone.However, this fighter would always be remembered by one person. His daughter.Years later, a new Tournament is about to begin, and the daughter goes uninvited, determined to seek out her father's killer and seek revenge. Even if it means risking her life when she was never invited in the first place.





	1. Ten years ago.......

His name had been Benjamin Faux, but no one would ever remember him. 

No one would remember his name or his face. No one would remember he had been one helluva Kickboxer, one of the best in the world. No one would remember him at all. 

Because he was just a pawn. An un-named, un remembered pawn in the sake of a Tournament for Earthrealm. He was unimportant to all Gods, all Outworlders, Netherworlders. 

He was just an example of what would happen in the Mortal Kombat tournament. 

He was just means to an end, someone to be be brutally ripped apart by one of the more skilled and deadly fighters of the tournament. And then his soul ripped from his body, engulfed by the evil sorcerer, Shang Tsung, who wouldn't even remember him either. 

He was one of many who was just pawns to the tournament. 

No one would remember Benjamin Faux. 

No one but the only person he left behind, in a shithole of a house, hungry, alone.......his daughter Terra Faux. 

 

The day that Benjamin Faux died, he knew he should have just turned back. He had seen horrors beyond his nightmares and knew he would be no match for any of these other fighters. He had seen what they were capable of by now. 

He saw just how dangerous they were. 

And he knew if he didn't leave, he was going to die. 

The only reason why he had came to this tournament in the first place was because he had been promised money. He had needed it. He had been a broken man before coming to this god forsaken island. He had been a penniless fighter, mostly cage fighting for money and food to feed himself and his only relative he had in the world. 

His daughter. 

He stole food, fought in cages for her. 

They were living in extreme poverty and if their life had continued on the way it did, he knew that something terrible would happen to Terra. 

He had once been a five time National Kickboxing Champion, a small man in Boston. He would have gone to the World Leagues if only he hadn't been jumped by a gang, thugs hired by his next match up who had been too intimidated by his skills to play fair. 

Ben Faux had been jumped and beaten so badly that it ruined his chances at ever fighting again. His hands of steel broken and shattered so badly, he was said to never be able to fight again. 

But he sure as hell tried. 

He went through surgeries to restore his fists. He spent so much money on his surgeries, hoping that he could restore himself to his own glory to earn what he lost. 

But.......

The Kickboxing League wouldn't take him back. He was broken. Unworthy of fighting any more. He would never fight in the league again. 

Ben lost everything. He had no money. He had no house. He had nothing. 

Everything but his beloved daughter, Terra.

Before Terra had come around, he had had an affair with a married woman. He knew it was bad but it had been about having fun and the unfaithful wife offered him a good time and he took it. 

They had affair and she ended up pregnant with Terra. Her husband found out and ordered an abortion or a divorce. 

She chose abortion but Ben begged her to let him keep Terra. He wanted a child more than anything and after offering a good sum of money to the unhappily married couple, he got Terra. 

He never saw his mistress again but had learned that she overdosed on drugs.

Nonetheless, he had Terra and he was happy. 

But then he lost everything. 

For three years, Ben and Terra lived in poverty. They mostly lived in a beat up car, moving place to place. He made some money in underground cage fights. He did it to survive and support Terra. He did everything he could to keep food in her belly and her warm and safe. Of course, he never told anyone and told her not to tell anyone about her dreams she had been having lately.

That was one thing that they learned in their years of being together, alone, starving together.

It was his secret of his success in the underground fights. She was his secret. She could.....see things only moments before they happened. He couldn't explain why she could see these things. But she could see things that would happen before they did but only moments before.

Because of Terra, he was a rising star in the underground fights, he had gotten some attention from underground lords of crime. 

Therefore, he had gotten the invitation. 

The invitation to the Mortal Kombat tournaments. 

He was offered money to join the tournament and promised that if he won the tournament, he would receive glory and riches. He would have more money than he could imagine to support Terra with. He wanted to take her with him to the tournaments but he was not allowed to. He was forbidden to have a plus one. He almost didn't go because without her, how could he win?

But by the numbers he was given for if he would win, how could he refuse?

How was he suppose to know it was just a ruse? 

And now, he was being beaten into the ground as an example of what true power was. He had never seen a monster like this one before. He had never knew that people like these existed. He had gone in completely blind, unprepared for what he would face.

And facing this.....this four armed monster called Goro, he knew he wasn't leaving alive. 

Benjamin Faux did not last long. He had tried but he failed. He had fought with everything he had but it wasn't enough. And he knew he would never see Terra again as he was lifted in the air by four hands and brought down hard against a large knee. 

His back snapped and he screamed in pain. 

 

And thousands and thousands of miles away, Terra Faux woke up, screaming and crying in her bed, in the borrowed bed of her father's only friend in the world. She saw it all, in her dreams. She saw the death of her father, who would never return again.

Terra was now alone in the world. And she knew it.


	2. Five years later.......

She was only nine when she lost her father. 

She was told he had run away from everything. He had abandoned her. He left her to starve and die all on her own. And no matter how bad she denied it all, that was what other people believed.

Terra knew better. 

If it wasn't for this......thing she had, she would have believed it. She would have believed her father abandoned her. But she had seen it happen. Through her dreams. That was something she had always had and she did not know why she had this......ability. But she knew that her father was dead because she had seen it. 

Ever since she could remember, Terra could always see something that would happen moments before it did. She couldn't explain it. But she was able to see things. 

Whether it be something done to her or her father or anyone really just by the brush of her hand. 

She discovered that earlier in her life. 

It all started when she was six years old. 

She remembered it all. 

Her father and her had been living on the streets, living in their car when it happened. She had been so curious as any child had been. She had seen a homeless man and asked about him. 

Benjamin had been apprehensive about her talking to the old man. But he allowed her to ask the man questions and the man had humored her by answering those questions. He had been kind to them, unlike others had been. He even gave her a candy bar, at the approval of her father. 

And when her hand brushed upon the man's withered old hand, she saw what was going to happen to him before he crossed the road, parting from them. She had burst into tears, startling both of the adults. 

But with an apology from her father and a wave of dismissal of no offense from the old man, they parted ways. 

And then that poor old man was hit by the bus, splattering from the impact. 

Terra had cried and told her father that was what she had seen. He hadn't believed her at first. He dismissed it as trauma to her for seeing such a gruesome scene. 

But as time went by and Terra began making predictions of what would happen to people that she touched, he began to believe her. 

And that was what made him start using her for his cage fighting. 

It wasn't just greed he was looking for. He regretted using her but it was also for her own sake. Her own survival. He would take her to the underground fights and brush his hand against hers so that she would tell him how to fight his opponents. 

It always worked. 

And that was their secret. 

That was how became a rising star in underground fights. 

He would fight and win because of her. He even began teaching her how to fight. He taught her his skills of kickboxing. He trained her at a young age for when and if she ever needed to defend herself, she would know how to. 

And now he was gone, Terra was alone. 

For five years, Terra had been in the orphanages or foster care programs, being moved home to home, passed family to family and none of them made her happy. 

That was why at fourteen years old, she ran away from the last home and lived on the streets.

That and the fact that her last foster family thought beating her would make her stop seeing delusions. They hadn't believed her when she said things would happen before she saw it. She had had enough of living in pain and whenever she fought back, she gotten beaten some more. 

She ran away and tried to survive on her own. 

For the most part, it worked. 

Terra used her gifts for her own survival. She stole food, money to try and make a living. She was on the run constantly, evading police and social workers who wanted to put her into a new home.

And that was how she met Ray. 

One night, fourteen year old Terra Faux had stolen food from a gangster. She knew she had done wrong the very minute the gangbanger caught her. She had tried to run and he and his thuggish buddies followed her into an alley in New York City, to beat the living shit out of her. 

She put up a good fight for being just a child. She had gotten some hits in. 

But it all ended the same way. 

Bruised, broken, bleeding as she was being repeatedly kicked over and over again. She screamed for help but no one would help her against armed thugs. She even saw the glint of a knife as one brought it down towards her. To kill her.

And that's when she saw him. 

A hand flashed out of nowhere, grabbing the thug by the wrist and sent him flying through the air into a garbage can. 

The man she would come to know as Ray was a tall, mysterious looking guy. He was so odd looking with short white hair, handsome but older face. He even wore the most odd looking clothes as if he had come from somewhere else.....maybe Asia. 

Dark gray shirt, gray pants, blue Asian vest. 

He was odd looking in deed. 

And his eyes were a stormy blue that even seem to spark with life as he faced down the thugs. He attacked them with grace and agility that seemed almost impossible. 

Terra could only watch as this man moved with lightning speed, beating down the thugs that beat her down. 

Soon enough, all of them were on the ground, groaning from their own beatings. 

His stormy blue eyes met hers and the man bent down, looking her over. 

"Are you all right, young one?" He had asked, his voice deep and yet raspy as if he was a mystery all on his own. And he offered her his hand to help her up. 

Terra had hesitated but then took his hand, knowing what was about to happen. She gasped as she saw the flash within her own head, seeing what was about to happen. 

And as if it were happening, she saw one of the thugs coming at the man again with the knife, swinging it towards his head. 

"Watch out! Knife! Thug! Go right!" Terra gasped out as she yanked her hand back from this man as she scampered back as fast as she could. 

The man looked startled for a second before jerking his whole body to the right as the knife came slashing down at him. And with his lightning speed, he swung around on his hands and kicked the thug threatening his life hard in the chest, sending him against the wall with a nasty crack. 

It was over again. And this time, no one was getting up. 

The man frowned in disbelief before looking right at Terra, who cringed into herself, wrapping g her arms around her knees in a fetal position, peering at him with swollen eyes. 

"How did you know he would attack me like that?" The man asked in bewilderment. 

Terra winced but shrugged as she looked sadly down at the ground. "Um..... I just knew......." she was saying. 

"Do not lie, child. I will not be angry." The man said softly as he now crouched beside her again. 

"You won't believe me. No one ever does." Terra said grumpily, looking away from him. "No one believed me when I said I saw my dad died in some tournament far away. They all said he abandoned me but I know he was killed." 

The man had stiffened, looking down at her before he slowly touched her face, making her look at him. "Try me. I will believe you, child. What is your name and how did your father die?" He asked her with a rumble. 

Terra pulled away from him, grimacing but shrugged. "Why should I tell you? I don't even know you." She grouched warily now. 

The man smiled before offering his hand to her again. "Call me Ray. I promise I won't hurt you. I will help you, child." He told her. 

Sighing, Terra told him. She told him about her abilities and of how she saw her father die in some.......combat tournament. That Benjamin Faux died by the hands of a four armed monster. 

And he believed her. 

And he took her in, placing her in his said to be home of a Dojo in the ends of the city. 

Ray took care of Terra in his Dojo, a place where he lived, trained and even taught others how to fight. He fed her, gave her a room to live in and even taught her how to shape her already known skills of combat. 

He never once exploited her gifts, like her father had done. He did ask once in a while if she saw things, mostly of other people who would get hurt and he used her gifts to prevent harm on those people. He never used her for his own gain. 

But he did have her use her gifts to her own devices. 

With her training, he had her use them to shape her fighting skills better. He taught her how to use them to her own defense. 

Terra learned how to fight and win using her ability to see things that would happen. He was very good with fighting. And he did teach her how to fight in the arts of Tae Kwon Do, Jujutsu, Judo and even one called Nan Chuan. 

With his teachings and patience of teaching her, Terra learned how to defend herself.

And then one day, she decided to ask him the questions that were on her mind. She had been curious about him from day one since she met him. And now, she wanted to know.

"Why did you help me? And why do you believe me about my abilities and my father?" 

Ray had been meditating with her when she finally asked. He simply looked at her with amusement. "I will be honest with you, Terra Faux. I saw you a few times before our meeting. You......were nothing to me. I only saw another human, suffering from your own humanity." He said calmly. "You were just another human. Nothing more. Until I saw you stop a child from running into the street." 

Terra frowned when she listened to him, not liking the tone he used but she listened. She remembered what he was speaking of. 

The child......he spoke of had been playing in the park. His parents not paying attention. He had run into her and she saw him running out into the street to get hit by a car. And the driver of the car not stopping for what he would do, not caring for a child he just ran over. 

She had grabbed him and he had screamed for his parents. She had ran away to avoid getting into trounle, bumping into someone in the process. 

"You bumped into me." Ray continued his explanation. "And that's when I saw something about you. That.....you were special, in your own way. Watched you from then on, seeing you doing things. I was curious about you. And that's why I helped you. And why I help you now. I see potential in you to become a fighter." 

Terra slowly nodded. "Okay. So.....why do you believe me?" She asked frowning. 

Ray smiled softly as he looked away from her for a moment. Then he looked right back at her, seriously. "The competition your father was in....it was called Mortal Kombat." He slowly nodded when she stiffened. "I know of it because I once fought in it once." 

"You......did? Did you know my father?" Terra asked now breathing heavily. 

Ray slowly shook his head regretfully. "I did not. I'm afraid that your father......he was just an example for other fighters. There are fighters who are called to the Kombat who would never be remembered but used as pawns for what true power actually was and is." He said softly. 

"So my father was only an example? He was murdered for nothing." Terra asked now in disgust. 

Ray sighed but nodded. "I'm afraid so. He was not good enough to win the Kombat, nor be remembered." He said softly. 

Terra made an angry, disgusted sound as she almost shoved herself away. "That's fucking bullshit! My father was one of the best! He was good! How could you say that?!" She demanded. 

Ray looked at her seriously but patiently. "He was not good enough and that's why he died. I am sorry he died in the way he did. It just reminds me, that there are fighters who are considered not good enough to be remembered but they were good enough to be remembered by those they left behind they loved." He said regretfully. "And because of you, I will start remembering the ones whose names will not be known. I will remember them when others will not." 

Terra looked down with tears in her eyes but wiped them away. "How do I get into this......Mortal Kombat?" She asked. 

Ray stiffened only slightly but shook his head. "You won't. Terra, the Mortal Kombat is only by invitation and only to those who can handle the brutality of the matches. You will not ever be ready for such a tournament. You will never fight in the Kombat." 

Terra scoffed loudly and in anger. "But with my abilities, I could become......" she was saying impatiently. 

Sighing heavily, Ray shook his head. "Even with your abilities, you will never be good enough for the Kombat. The Kombat is only for the best fighters in the Earthrealm." He told her firmly. 

Terra frowned at that but then shook her head. "Then why are you teaching me?! Why help me?! If I'm not good enough, why help me?!" She asked sharply. 

"Tread carefully of how you speak, Terra." Ray warned her firmly. "I teach you to help you survive in this world. I see potential in you but not enough to be in the tournament. I find myself caring of you, Terra. And that is why I ask you only be content of my teaching you how to defend yourself. You are young and deserve a life outside of the Mortal Kombat. You do not deserve the life fighting in a tournament like that." 

"But....my father's killer.....I don't understand." Terra said now full of emotion. 

"There are things in this world that you will never understand, Terra. Your father's killer.....he is not of this world. He is something else entirely different." Ray told her. 

Terra stared at him with dreaded awe. "He wasn't.....human?" She asked. 

Ray shook his head. "No. He wasn't. I won't speak of it more but I will tell you that there are things you will not understand. No matter how much you want to understand them, it will never be able to stuck into your mind. And if you continue to try and understand them, it can drive you mad." He told her in warning. 

"Ray......I want to find my father's killer. I want to understand everything. Please.....just tell me." Terra begged. 

Smiling sadly, Ray shook his head. "I cannot. You are not chosen to understand them. I will continue teaching you but you must never go to the Mortal Kombat, Terra. I implore you to forget it ever existed." He told her. 

Terra sighed defeated but nodded. She would forget it for now. 

But that did not mean she would do as Ray asked. She would never forget it. She would never stop searching a way to get to this.....Mortal Kombat. She swore to herself and her father's killer, she would seek the revenge she felt that she deserved. That her father deserved. 

Five years later, she found herself abandoned again because she would not stop pestering Ray about the Mortal Kombat. He cared about her to not tell her the truth. 

He did not want that life for her. 

But she would find someway, some how to get to the Kombat. Despite what Ray said. 

Ray had abandoned her in hopes that she would forget it. He had taught her how to survive and that was only his intentions. 

Terra Faux would do anything to get into the Kombat. 

Even if it meant sneaking on a leaky boat when she found out about the tournament she fought so hard to learn about. 

It took ten years to do it but her patience and hard work paid off. She traveled far and wide to find a way but when she did, she jumped right to it. 

It would be the biggest mistake she ever made.


	3. Ten Years later..........

For so many years of being alone again, it took everything she had and did to finally learn what she wanted. 

It took a lot of work, a lot of her own illegal cage fighting to earn the money to pay off black listed criminals to learn of the Kombat tournament. 

Terra Faux, now twenty years old, had finally found what she was looking for. She had worked so hard to discover this tournament. A lot of her own blood had been shed for it. A lot of others blood being shed. Broken bones but never giving up had finally paid off. 

It had been brushing the hand of a criminal that told her of what she wanted to know. 

She only knew of it because it had taken a lot to find out about the notorious criminal mastermind, Kano. She had done a lot of digging around to learn about this scumbag. And she found out through his own mind, from brushing against his hand, he was going to the tournament. 

This was her chance. 

This was her chance to finally reach the Mortal Kombat tournament and seek out her father's killer. She knew that in some part of her mind she was being stupid. She knew she might not be ready for something like this. 

But she had trained so hard, remembered everything she had been taught from her father and Ray. This was the only opportunity she felt like she was going to get. She couldn't let this pass up for another chance. There might not even be another chance for her. 

She was determined with everything she had to face the monster that killed her father. She wasn't going to let this pass by. 

Now twenty years old, probably too young and naive, Terra was hiding in the shadows in a Chinatown harbor in California, ready to face the destiny she chose for herself. She had come from so far to get to this. 

She would go further. 

Terra had grown from the naive child she was. She was taller and leaner than she once had been. Her strawberry blonde hair pulled up in a tight pony tail, her deep green eyes sparkling with anticipation as she watched that criminal barking orders at harbor workers. She waited for the right moment to board that.....if you could even call it a ship that had just come rolling in. 

Dressed in black cargo pants, black combat boots and a black Jean jacket with a dirty, stained white shirt underneath, Terra waited. 

She had been watching Kano for days now, when she could. She had been preparing this for a week since she came to California. She had watched him in warehouses, on the back alley ways of the city and now here was her chance. 

That ship.....it was an ancient looking thing as it rolled into the harbor. It was big enough for a lot of people to board and carry to god who knows where. It was Chinese by the looks of it. Old, rickety but it looked impressive. 

It was her only way into the Mortal Kombat. 

And so, was she going to take it.

"Make sure these damn crates get on the boat!" She heard Kano yell as he started for the ship. 

Terra looked at the nearest crate, seeing that they were simply provisions. She knew it was her only chance of getting on the ship. She would have to sneak in that way. 

Creeping through the shadows, ducking when necessary, Terra went to one of the crates and looked in one of them. She grimaced to see it filled with vegetables. She was definitely going to get very messy climbing in there, crushing tomatoes and such. But nit was her only chance. 

Climbing in and squishing a lot of vegetables in thenprocess, Terra sat in a puddle of crush juice and waited. She had to stifle a yelp when she felt it moving and hear the shouting of Asian workers as they loaded the crates onto a pulley. She felt it being lifted into the air, rocking to being pulled upward. 

Then the thump of it being set down inside a storage room below the deck of the ship. 

It was so dark in where she was, the room only illuminated by torch lights. She just sat there, listening to the movements in the storage before it went quiet again. 

Terra finally climbed out of the crate once it was so quiet, finding it very hard to see. She could feel the ship rocking now, hearing footsteps above her head as she climbed out and looked for somewhere to hide. 

She found refuge between crates and cloths in a very dark corner and using one of them to cover her up, hugging her backpack close to herself, she waited for a very long time. 

Falling asleep in the process. 

It wasn't until a couple of hours later, Terra was jerked to awakening when someone seized her by the hair. She had been asleep at the time, resting only a little. But when someone grabbed her by the hair, she screamed. 

"Well, well, what do we got 'ere, eh? Looks like a rat has stowed away." 

Terra, gripping at the hand that held her by the hair looked up with terror at who had discovered her and found herself looking into the glowing red eye of Kano. 

"Shit." Terra whimpered as she was lifted up by her hair and she thrashed to be freed.

"Heh, yeh, ya got that right, girlie." Kano said before dragging her out from her hiding place, ignoring her whimpers of pain.

Most of the Kombants were on the deck, visiting with familiar faces or studying those who would be their opponents. It had been ten years since some of them saw each other and even less with a few mishaps that happened. 

Rules broken and then penalized later.

It was where Liu Kang was talking to his fellow past friends from the last tournament he participated in with. He was so happy to Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage and even was pleased to meet Jackson Briggs, who told him to call him Jax. 

They hadn't seen each other for a while but if there was one person he couldn't wait to see again it would be Kitana. He hadn't seen her for a few years since she returned to the Netherworld to put things back together in Edenia, her home world.

Of course, one to join their little pow wow reunion was their good friend, Lord Raiden, God of the Sky and Lightning. 

It had been so long since he seen Raiden. Though, there had been a few visits. 

Liu knew very well that Raiden loved the Earth realm so much that he visited it frequently. He knew very well he would blend in with the inhabitants to coexist with them often as well.

"Well, what do you think we will face this time?" Sonya asked as she smiled around at everyone as they sat together. 

Raiden just smiled shaking his head. "For champions such as you, there will only be a few challenges. Nothing you cannot handle." He told them as he pressed his hands together. 

"So nothing new, huh?" Johnny asked grinning before shrugging. 

"No, not entirely. You will face former challenges, brought back to life by Shang Tsung but nothing you have not faced......" Raiden was saying.

"OW!! YOU FUCKER!! LET ME GO!!" 

Like everyone else, the group of friends jerked their heads around when they heard the screams and they looked to see the scumbag, Kano dragging someone behind him onto the deck. They all stiffened to see the girl he was dragging by the hair. 

But unlike everyone else, Raiden paled when he saw the girl.

Kano dragged her right to where the wicked sorcerer was sitting and practically threw her down to her knees. "Look what rat I found down in the gulley, Master Shang Tsung. A little stowaway hiding in the food." He said chuckling even as she tried to scramble back to her feet but she had her knees kicked out from beneath her again and she yelped at the pain in her head. 

Shang Tsung looked down at the girl with amusement as he tilted his head. "I don't recognize this rat, Kano. I do believe she is an uninvited guest. Release her." He ordered. 

"She might try to run, m'lord." Kano spoke up. 

"And where would she run to, Kano? We are on a ship in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by my warriors. She would be stupid to try and run. And while she was stupid enough to sneak onto my ship, I do not think she is stupid enough to swim in shark infested waters." The sorcerer said firmly. 

Kano huffed but then shoved Terra forward, making her swear at him. He just chuckled at the fire she held inside of her. 

"Now, who are you and what are you doing on my ship? You do realize that this is a private vessel with only invited guests?" Shang Tsung asked her. 

Terra rubbed at her head but held firm as she looked at him. "My name is Terra Faux. And I know this ship is going to the Mortal Kombat tournament. I wanted to attend." She said firmly. 

And there were a few murmurs and scoffs at her. 

Shang Tsung was one of them. He looked amused but he shook his head. "I am very curious of how you know of the Mortal Kombat. This is a private affair and you are not on the invitation list." He said thickly. 

Terra gave him a smirk before jerking her head towards Kano. "Kano told me about it." She said with dark humor. 

Kano choked while Shang Tsung gave him a look. "Did he now?" He asked rather darkly. 

"I......I've never seen this chicky before in my life! I never told her shit, Master Shang Tsung!" Kano choked. 

"We will discuss this later, Kano. In the mean time, throw her overboard. She came swim back to the main land, even if it is fifty miles back." Shang Tsung ordered. 

Terra stiffened and choked before she tried to scamper away. She didn't get very far as Kano roughly grabbed her and yanked her to her feet. "No! I can fight! I want to fight!" She screamed as she was being dragged towards the edge of the ship. 

Beside Raiden, Sonya started forward, growling angrily. "She's a kid, for God's sake! We can let them do that!" She snarled but Johnny grabbed her arm. "Johnny!" 

"I know, Sonya! But what can we do?! It is Shang Tsung's ship and she isn't suppose to be here, anyway!" Johnny said already regretting it even as Lui stepped forward to say something. 

"STOP!" Raiden shouted with of lightning and thunder booming in the air. 

Everyone stopped immediately and looked right at the Thunder God as he stepped forward. 

Terra gasped as soon as she saw him and froze in the grip of Kano. She couldn't believe her eyes as she looked right at her old mentor. "Ray?" She whispered in total shock.

"Lord Raiden," Shang Tsung said now straightening. "You know the rules of Mortal Kombat. You cannot interfere with the Kombat tournament. This human is not invited. She does not belong here. And you know it." 

Raiden just stepped forward, not even looking at Terra as she gaped at him in shock. "I will request of the Elder God's for this interference, Shang Tsung. But you will not take the life of this child. She has nothing to do with the tournament. Nor of the Earthrealm. I will take the responsibility of her. She will be under my care." He said firmly. 

"She has no business being on my island. She is not a fighter that I am aware of. The tournament is not for observers and you very well know it. If she os to be on the island, she has to fight. But since she is not a fighter, it will be more kind of me to throw her overboard." Shang Tsung said darkly. 

"Shang Tsung, she is a fighter just not one of the others' caliber. And there are no rules against observers." Raiden said sternly.

Shang Tsung did not look pleased. He knew there were no rules for observers. But still, he knew that the Kombat were no place for those who didn't fight. "She either fights or she is overboard, Lord Raiden. There are no observers here." He said firmly. 

Raiden glowed but then looked right at Terra, who was still gaping at him in shock. "She will fight, Shang Tsung. Her death will be on my hands. I will take responsibility for her while she is in the Kombat." He said now slightly defeated but also sternly at the same time. 

Shang Tsung suddenly scoffed, looking amused. "Ah, Lord Raiden, you know this human, do you not? The fact that you are fighting for her life, only to lead her to death is obvious." He said in amusement.

"We've met." Raiden said rather blankly as he continued to stare Terra down. "We are reaching your island. I will share words with her in private." 

Shang Tsung merely tilted his head before motioning to Kano, who released Terra. He was very amused at this whole ordeal. "Very well. But be warned. The tournament begins tomorrow. And it will start with this.....party crasher. I want to know if she really can fight in the Mortal Kombat. If she is worthy to defend your precious Earthrealm along with your champions." He said chuckling. 

Raiden sighed but nodded as he walked over to Terra and took her arm. He did seem defeated about the whole thing but what choice did he have now? 

Terra sealed her own doom by chasing after the Kombat. 

Taking her arm, and dragging her complaining self to the deck below, Raiden was angry and it showed in the way he dragged her. He was fully aware he was being followed by his champions, who were curious about this girl but he didn't care if they were the ones to overhear this conversation. 

Once in a room below deck, Raiden released Terra and whirled around on her, thunder booming at his anger. "How stupid are you, Terra?!" He snapped as soon as they were facing each other. 

Startled, Terra rubbed her arm but still gaped at him in shock. "Ray?! What are you doing here?! I thought.....what is going on?!" She asked right back. 

"Ray?" It was Sonya who spoke up as she and the others showed their selves to the two. 

Raiden gave his champions a look not to say anything again while he addressed Terra before turning back to her. "I told you to forget about the Mortal Kombat, Terra! You are a fighter but you are not skilled enough for this tournament!" He said irritated. 

"What did you expect me to do, Ray?! I told you I wanted more than anything to face my father's killer! You wouldn't tell me anything! You didn't even tell me that you were going to dump my ass! You abandoned me!" Terra shouted right back now angry herself. 

"To keep you alive, Terra! You are not for the Kombat! I told you to forget everything I told you! But you didn't listen and now you are here, trapped! You do not know what you have done!" Raiden snapped as he glared at her. 

"So enlighten me! I wanted to fight, Ray! For my father, who died as a nobody in this damn tournament! I want people to remember him! And I sure as hell am determined to see it happen!" Terra argued.

Raiden shook his head as he looked down at her, almost painfully now. "Terra, you do not understand what is at stake here. By coming here, you will die. And you will be just like your father. Forgotten by all, but myself. I swore to you that I would not forget his name when you told me. You are going to die in the first Kombat. The Mortal Kombat is not just a tournament. It is a fight for Earthrealm and to the death. You are not good enough to beat any of the fighters on this ship. You are too young and too naive." He said firmly. 

"Ray......please spare me the dramatics. What is going on? What are you talking about? Earthrealm?! Raiden?! Who the hell are you?!" Terra asked impatiently. 

"He's Lord Raiden. God of the Sky, Thunder and Lightning." Liu Kang spoke up as he finally stepped forward and Terra looked at him in surprise. 

"What?" She asked blankly. 

Sighing heavily, Raiden folded his arms and looked right at her. "I am an Elder God, protector of Earthrealm. What you don't realize, Terra, is there are different realms that exist but outside of humanity's knowledge. The Mortal Kombat is a secret war between the realms. A way to fight for Earthrealm, your world, and protect it from Shao Kahn, the Emperor of the OutRealm, who would stop at nothing to conquer Earthrealm and destroy humanity." 

Terra gaped at him in total shock. "So.. those stories you used to tell me.....you're not even human?" She asked. 

Raiden smiled faintly but shook his head as he held up a single finger to emit static electricity. "No. I am not. I told you of some part of the realms through stories. Like Goro, for one. He is the Prince of a Subterranean realm, and he is the one who killed your father." He said before motioning to Liu, Sonya, Johnny and Jax as they just stood, quite dumbfounded but curious. "These are some of my champions, defenders of Earthrealm. Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage and Jackson Briggs, whom we call Jax."

Terra's eyes lit up as she looked right at Johnny and then pointed at him. "Heeeeey! I do know you! Johnny Cage! You were in You Got Caged!" She said brightly. 

Johnny brightened and he nodded, while everyone else smiled and rolled their eyes. "Yep! That's me! So you're a fan? I'll totally sign an autograph for you!" He said already pulling out a pen from his back pocket. 

Terra grimaced but shook her head. "Sorry. I'm not. While I liked your fighting style in the movies, your movies were shit. They sucked so bad." She said apologetically. 

There was a burst of laughter from everyone else while Johnny deflated and started pouting. 

"Uh.....I honestly didn't think it was your fault though!" Terra said knowing she wasn't winning the favor of this movie star. "The fighting was great but the story lines sucked. Whoever wrote your movies needs to go back to high school and actually learn how to write creative." 

The laughter did not die down and Johnny pouted so more, not looking happy at all. 

"Shit." Terra said now grimacing as she deflated herself. "You wrote them, didn't you?" 

"Yea-ah." Johnny replied miserably. 

"Okay, shutting up." Terra said now apologetically. 

"No, please. Do go on. I'm enjoying this." Sonya said snickering while Johnny gave her a bitter look. She only returned it with a smirk before looking at Raiden, raising an eyebrow. "So, 'Ray', you want to tell us what the hell is going on? Or do we have to guess?" 

The mood darkened a little as Raiden and Terra shared a glance. 

"Everyone, this is Terra Faux." The God said now with a tired sigh. "I found her in New York during one of my visits through Earthrealm. She was only fourteen at the time. Living alone, on the streets, orphaned. Starving. She was being beaten by thugs she had stolen food from. They would have killed her if I had not stepped in." He told them. 

The four champions sobered a little but did look at her with little sympathy. 

"You were alone? What about your parents?" Liu Kang asked her. 

Terra shrugged. "It was always just me and my dad. My mother......my dad told me everything when I was eight. He had an affair with a married woman and I was born. She wanted to abort me but my dad begged her to let him have me." She said shrugging. "It was just me and him, against the world. He used to be a really great Kickboxer champion. But....then ten years ago, he came to the Mortal Kombat and he never returned. He died." 

"Ten years ago?" Liu asked now stiffening as he looked at Raiden. "That was our first Mortal Kombat. Did we know this man?" 

Raiden shook his head while Terra just looked away painfully. "No. You did not. Her father was Benjamin Faux. He was one of the first to die against Goro. Never to be remembered by any of you. Or myself until I met Terra." He said regretfully. 

"Wait......Ben Faux?" Johnny asked now brightening. "I actually do remember that guy." 

Terra brightened as she looked at him hopefully and everyone looked at him in surprise. 

"You......do?" Sonya asked. 

Johnny nodded as he looked back at her. "Yeah. I talked to the guy the first night before the tournament started. Really nice guy, if not just a little intimidated by everyone else else. Kano used to give him hell that first night. You know how Kano was and is. He's an asshole. I saw him picking on Benjamin Faux and I stepped in. We talked some. I saw his fight against Goro too. So did you, guys. But obviously you don't remember." 

"Wait a minute......" Sonya said now stiffening. "Wasn't he that guy who actually lasted longer than everyone else against Goro? He's the only one who managed to kick that four armed freak in the face.: 

"Oh, yeah." Liu now said as his eyes brightened in recognition. "I do remember him now. He was pretty good. Safly, he didn't last but I did think he might have had a shot of winning." 

"You did? You're not just saying that, right?" Terra asked hopefully. 

All three nodded looking at her while Jax just scratched his head. 

"No, I'm serious." Johnny said now smiling at her. "I do remember him. He told me about you his first night. He said he was in the Kombat because of how down on the luck you both were in. He was there for the money and glory. Because you were both living in a car in Cincinnati. He used to be a five time Kickboxing National Champion. He lost it all when you were both attacked one night and they shattered his hands. He had to go through multiple surgeries to even restore them. Ben had probably.....what, fifteen steel pins in his hands to restore his fists." 

Terra brightened, tears in her eyes as she nodded. "Yeah. You wouldn't believe on bad he tried to get back into shape for the Leagues. They wouldn't take him back though. Said he was washed up. I used to cry a lot because of much pain he was in all the time after fights. But he never backed down." She said wiping at her eyes. 

"No, I believe it." Johnny said now smiling at her as he folded his arms. "When someone like Ben has something to fight for, namely a daughter, you'll never back down from a fight. Everything he kept saying about you, it kind of made me want to have a kid, myself." 

Terra just smiled and nodded. "Thanks. For remembering him. That actually means alot to me." She said and recieved. 

"Well, either way," Raiden said now bursting the bubble as he looked sternly at Terra, who now ducked her head. "Terra, this was the biggest mistake you've ever made. I warned you that you couldn't enter the Mortal Kombat. These tournaments......these are fights to the death. And you've never, ever killed before." 

Terra grimaced as she looked at him. "I know, Ray. But I had to do this. I have to. With my ability, I know I can do it." She told him. 

Raiden just sighed, shaking his head. "Your ability is not going to be enough to keep you alive, Terra. I warned you that it would not. You don't know what the other Realms' fighters are capable of." He said forcefully. 

"Ability?" Jax was the one to ask with a frown. 

Terra and Raiden both looked at him but nodded, though he did look a little impatient on the matter. But she was the one to answer. "Sometimes when I touch someone, I can see things that will happen to them moments before they do happen." She said grimacing. 

The four fighters looked bewildered.

"You mean.....you can see the future?" Sonya asked surprised. 

Raiden was the one to shrug. "By mere moments. When I learned of her ability, I did become facinated by ot. I even taught her how to use it for her own survival." He then gave Terra a firm look. "But not for Mortal Kombat. Your ability will not save you in this tournament, Terra." 

"What if it does, Ray?" Terra pressed right back. 

"It won't, Terra." Raiden said now sterner than before. 

"But what. If. It. Does?" Terra pressed harder back. "I've trained harder than ever with it, Ray. Even after you abandoned me." 

"You abandoned her?" Sonya asked now unimpressed at the God. 

Raiden huffed as he gave her an irritated look. "She wouldn't stop asking about the Kombat. What was I suppose to do, Sonya?" He asked unamused. 

Sonya shrugged impatiently. "Tell her the truth?" She asked forcefully. "She's only here because you didn't tell her the truth, Raiden. I know the whole war between the realms is suppose to be a secret from the rest of the world. But I think when you told her about the Kombat in the first place, it made you obligated to tell her about the realms." 

Liu sighed and nodded as he looked at the now deflating God. "Raiden, she is right. You told her about the Kombat to sate her about the death of her father. You should have told her everything else. You planted the seed inside of her. And then left her to guess herself. I do not blame her for being here now." 

"It wasn't his fault......" Terra said now trying to defend her mentor. 

But Raiden sighed and slouched his shoulders as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "No, Terra. They are right." He said now defeated. "It is my fault. I see that now. By not telling you what Mortal Kombat really was, I put you in danger. I am deeply sorry." 

Terra sighed as she looked up at him. "You were just trying to protect me. I kind of blew it, myself." She said grimacing. "Um.....so what now?"

Raiden shook his head with a sigh. "There is nothing we can do now that Shang Tsung knows of you. Your fight will be the first. I can only hope that you're right. That your ability will be enough to save you from whomever that Shang Tsung pits you against." He then looked sternly at everyone else. "We cannot also let him know of her abilities. If he finds out what she can do, he will use her. He will want her soul for his own. With a power like hers, who knows what he can do with it." 

Everyone else nodded as they shared a glance with each other. They knew he had a point. 

"With an ability to see the future, even if for a few moments, he could use that to his own advantage. He could win the Mortal Kombat and Shao Kahn could win the Earthrealm." Liu said seriously. 

"So we keep it a secret to ourselves. We can't let Shang Tsung get her soul." Johnny said firmly. 

They were all in agreement. They would have to help Terra survive. For her own sake and the Earthrealm's. 

 

However, this was Shang Tsung's ship. And he did have eyes and ears everywhere. 

Through his invisible servent, Reptile's eyes, in his dark room, Shang Tsung smiled darkly as he had heard everything. "Interesting." He said to himself. "The Emperor would be pleased to have this......little girl for his own." 

"So what do we do?" Kano asked from beside his master. 

"You will fight her in the first match. If she does win, I will see to it that her skills are used. And then when she dies against one of my other fighters, her soul will be mine." The sorcerer said chuckling darkly.


	4. The Demonstration Match

The ship arrived at the island so late in the evening and all had to unboarded the ship and head to the ancient temple where they would be staying. 

Terra was to stay near the four champions at all times, even during her matches. She was told that she was allowed to train with Raiden but he could not interfere with the tournament itself. 

There was no rules that he couldn't train with her but he couldn't help her at all. 

There was a banquet that night for all to be welcomed to the Mortal Kombat and it was there that Terra got to see exactly what she was in for. She got to see all of the other fighters that would be participating in the Kombat. 

Some of them just made her sick with worry when she saw how some of them looked. 

As she had been warned, not all of the fighters were human. And got that taste of reality when she attended the banquet with everyone else. She couldn't help but gape at some like Baraka or Sheeva, who were there, standing on the side that was Shang Tsung's. 

His warriors were terrifying and inhuman. Most of them were humanoid but some were not. 

Terra, however, did get to meet some of the other worlders who fought on Raiden's side. Such as Kitana and Tundra. And even Nightwolf, who was human from Earthrealm.

Of course, when they were introduced to her, all three turned a black stare onto Raiden. 

"What?" Raiden asked innocently. 

"Recruiting kind of young, are you not, Raiden?" Kitana asked skeptically. 

Raiden scowled at her. "Believe me, it is not my idea that she is here, Princess." He said with a huff. 

"Yea-ah, I kind of gate crashed on this. Believe me, he's not happy with me." Terra said wincing. 

"You are foolish to come here. You are not a warrior like we are." Tundra said in his blank way. And he received a look from her. 

"Hey, hey, she's got to start somewhere, right? Remember when I joined up on this whole thing? I didn't even believe any of this until I watched Sub-zero freeze Sonya's gun on the ship the first time." Johnny said coming to Terra's defense.

"The difference between you and her, Johnny, is that you have more experience." Raiden said blankly. 

"I was just a movie star, Ray. Sure, I had more fighting styles and experience but in actual fights, nope. Not until the Mortal Kombat ten years ago." Johnny said just as blankly. 

"Thanks for the vote of confidence by the way, Ray." Terra said drily. "And just for the record, you taught me everything else. I just knew kickboxing before i met you. So if I die because of my lack of skills, it's your fault." 

Raiden gave her a very dry look. Everyone else laughed, surprisingly even Tundra.

"By the way, Tundra. You're kind of dressed different, aren't you? Last time we saw you were in Aqua ninja garb." Sonya asked looking at the said. 

The ninja assassin merely shrugged. "I've taken over the name of Sub-zero in honor of my older brother. He is no longer called Sub-zero but Noob Saibot." He told them. 

"So it's not Tundra, any more?" Liu asked him. 

Sub-zero shook his head as he looked back at him. "No. It is not." He told him. "Though, if you wish, you can call me by my given name. Kuai Liang."

"Ah, we will just keep calling you Sub-Zero. Or Ice Prick." Sonya said and the others chuckled while she got an icy look from the ninja.

"So......any tips you guys can share?" Terra asked after they all sat together at a table. She was rightfully nervous about the whole thing. She was, after all, entering a life or death tournament. Something she trained so hard for but more and likely wasn't ready for.

Everyone looked at her, grimacing. 

"Stay focused at all times. Trust your instincts." Liu said first. 

Sonya nodded in agreement. "When it comes to fighting for life or death, there really isn't any rules. If you see an opening and you know you can get to it, go for it. But don't be overconfident. A lot of these guys are really, really dangerous. So don't underestimate them." 

"Terra, you're not ready for this. You do realize that?" Raiden said grimly. "But I did train you and you are pretty good. You do have a good memory. Always observe the way one moves. In the beginning of your fight, avoid being hit. Move around while studying the way your opponent moves. And strikes. And as Liu Kang said, trust your instincts. You do have good instincts, I will admit. Trust them. And use your ability to survive." He told her.

Terra nodded in understanding. She would do that. 

"If you want, I can show you some moves. We can train together tonight." Sonya offered. 

Again, Terra smiled and nodded. "That'd be great. Now that I'm here, I'm kind.....of nervous." She admitted sheepishly. 

"You would be a fool if you were not." Sub-Zero said looking at her. "I mean no offense to you but you are a novice amongst masters of Kombat. You do realize you will get hurt, do you not?"

Terra shrugged, smiling faintly. "Yeah, I'm sure I will. But nothing can hurt more than losing my dad to this tournament when I was only nine. And I got to see it." She said and received confused looks from it. 

"Huh? You saw it happen?" Jax asked now confused. 

It was Raiden who interrupted. "We will explain that later, when we know we won't be eavsdropped on. It has something to do with her ability." He said pointing that out to the other four who actually knew about it. 

The other three just frowned in confusion. 

A gong went off and everyone looked up to look at Shang Tsung as he stood up, smiling his creepy smile. "Welcome to the Mortal Kombat." He began as he addressed everyone. "For many Generations this competition of life and Death has taken place between the realms for the sole sake of Earthrealm. There has been many Mortal Kombat now and there will be more. You are all extraordinary fighters of all the realms. And once again, you will fight for your realms. For Earthrealm." 

"Blah, blah, blah. This guy almost always says the same thing every time. Doesn't he ever have something new to say?" Johnny asked warily. 

While everyone agreed, they didn't voice it. 

Shang Tsung, however, smirked. "However, there is something new to this Mortal Kombat. There is an uninvited fighter to this one." And the group stiffened while looking right at Terra, who paled. They knew very well that Shang Tsung was pointing her out now to other fighters and that was probably not good. "We have an uninvited fighter amongst you who has yet to prove herself worthy of the Kombat. Therefore, Terra Faux, you will fight now." 

"What?!" Terra yelped as she cringed as soon as that wicked sorcerer looked right at her. 

"Shit. He's changing the rules! He can't do that!" Sonya hissed as she looked worried at the young girl. 

Raiden was glaring up at Shang Tsung but he shook his head. "Unfortunately, he can, Sonya. Terra broke one of the rules as it was. She's univited to the Kombat. She isn't even suppose to be here. He is allowed a demonstration before the actual Kombat to begin. It looks like he wants Terra to be the demonstration." He said darkly.

Shang Tsung just smirked as he looked right at Terra as he waved a hand. Many garbed guards went forward and everyone had to retreat from the tables as they were pushed shoved them away before grabbing tables and over turning them, spilling food and drink all over the floor. 

They forced fighters towards the walls, forming a large circle as they went. 

Shang Tsung stood at one end of the circle, still looking directly at Terra. "Uninvited guest of Mortal Kombat, come forward. Now." He ordered. 

Terra, pale, looked right at Raiden, who grimaced and slowly nodded. They knew it right now. Her time was up. She was going in blind, no matter how much they were going to want to fight it. 

"Remember, Terra. Stay focused. Be wary of whomever he makes you fight." The God told her quietly. "Move around. And be careful." 

Taking a deep breath, Terra nodded as she stepped forward, removing her jacket in the process. She knew this was it. Everything she trained for was going to finally pay off. 

Hopefully. 

Now in the circle, Terra did her best to look brave. It just didn't help that she was trembling a little from the anxiety she felt. 

Shang Tsung just smirked his crooked smile at her before he motioned to his right where Kano stepped forward. "You will fight Kano as your first match, intruder. Prove yourself in Kombat and you may stay and compete for the sake of Earthrealm. If you fail, your soul will be forfeit along with your life." He said darkly amused.

Terra couldn't help but be a little snarky with the way he had said that. She knew he was taunting her in some way. "Then I guess I better win, huh?" She shot back before turning to face Kano as he just grinned nasty at her. 

"Well, chicky. Looks it the end of the line for yeh. Don't appreciate yeh lying abou' me telling yeh about the Kom at from before." Kano said as he now stepped forward. 

"Heh, I didn't lie." Terra said sarcastically. "Not really. I've been tailing you for a week. For a suppose to be criminal mastermind, you didn't even notice me watching you, Kano. Seems to me you're slipping. Guess old age is starting to get you." 

There was laughs from the observers. 

Kano was not one of them. He was not amused whatsoever. 

"Oh, I'm gonna love beating the life out of yeh, you cocky little shit." The criminal remarked now raising his fists and getting into a stance. 

"Begin!" Shang Tsung barked.

Terra snapped up her fists and into her own stance, her entire nervous aura evaporating into nothing as she became deadly serious in a matter of seconds. It was like a switch had been turned on inside of her. 

Kano just huffed as he began moving forward, definitely overconfident in his stride. "Let's get this over with, chicky. Imma gonna throw you to Reptile and Mileena for food." He said now reaching for her. 

Terra snapped out her hand and grabbed Kano by the wrist, her breath sharp as she held on, her eyes flashing. 

Kano jerked his wrist back and then swung the other one at the girl. She jerked back to avoid getting hit but didn't see his swinging foot coming at her. She yelped as his spiked boot slammed into her side, sending her staggering back onto the ground. 

Terra gasped for air as she scrambled up to face him again but he was already pulling out a knife from his belt and swinging it at her.

She barely escaped with a new gash in her arm, blood now spilling down onto the floor. 

There were roars all around her as she clutched onto her arm, her eyes wide with terror as she tried to scamper back as Kano came at her with another kick to the leg, sending her sprawling. 

"Made a mistake coming here, baby! Now yeh gonna die!" Kano laughed harshly and aimed another kick to her stomach, knocking the air from her lung. 

"Argh!" Terra gasped as she curled into a fetal postion. 

Before she felt the knife slam into her back. 

Terra blinked back into reality as she suddenly moved, ducking away from the fist flying at her and then spun on her heel to avoid the incoming kick coming at her. She whipped right around Kano. 

Her hand lashed out and grabbed the hilt of the knife that was still in his belt, yanking it free before she threw it hard away from her. 

The knife whizzed right at the outer circle and several of the other fighters had to duck out of the way as it sailed at them, all shouting in alarm. 

Terra whipped around, standing in a position as Kano whipped around, startled by her actions. "Sorry but don't bring a knife to a fist fight." She merely said before she launched forward and became a furry of movement.

Fist thrown, slammed into Kano's side, sending him grunting back, spin on heel and a good kick to the chest, making him grunt again. 

He threw himself forward now trying to punch her. 

Terra swept to the side, her hand brushing against his arm again and once more, her eyes flashed brightly. She was back into the moment of a vision. 

Kano spun on his heel and kicked out at her, catching her right in the face to sprawl onto the ground. He turned with a jerk, his bright red eye flashing as a laser shot out and railed her right between the eyes. She managed to scream once before falling dead.

And once again, Terra blinked jerked backwards as a spiked boot a me flying at her. She dodged to the left as his red eye lit up and shot the laser at her. She flipped backwards to avoid it, kicking out with her foot and nailed him right the chin, sending him sprawling.

Snapping back to her feet, Terra raised her fists and stood in her stance. "Okay, time to quit playing around." She said mostly to herself. 

"She is using her power, isn't she?" Liu asked looking at Raiden.

Raiden, who did look a little proud, nodded. "Yes. You see it, don't you? Her eyes take on a sheen when she is using her ability. She is resourceful girl and while not as skilled as everyone here, she is very smart. I think she might have a chance." He murmured right back to Liu.

Kano was getting angry as Terra began dancing around him, swiping at him with power house kicks or even a fist to his gut. He knew very well he had underestimated the girl, since she was now dancing around like a boxer and jabbing at him. They traded blows after blows. He would come close to hitting her but she always danced out of the way, as if she knew it was coming. And then she would strike back and hard. 

And Terra was provided that she could fight. She could keep up with him, which was a surprise. She knew when to dance out of the way, or block or even kick at him. She was fast, that was for certain. It was due to her smaller zippy size that she was able to get away so well. 

Sweeping away from a well timed punch, her hand brushing against his arm and she went, she would duck around him and slam her fist against his back. 

His back......he realized it. 

She knew where his weakness was. He had always had a small weak spot and it was usually his back, just a little to the right from his spine. It was a place where he'd been stabbed once, by Sonya Blade's partner so many years ago.

How in the hell.......?!

Oh, yeah. 

Her ability that he had learned with Shang Tsung. 

After a brutal kick to the face by this little poppet, Kano felt a tooth come loose as he staggered back and then spat out blood and the tooth before huffing irritated. He turned a glare onto Terra, who stood at attention and ready. "A'ight, I can see I can quit playing with yeh, girlie. You're making a point that yeh shouldn't be underestimated." He growled before raising his fists.

"Well, I'm not a kid. So don't play with me, loser." Terra said smirking. 

Oh, Kano was going to enjoy this now. 

Now moving forward, he struck at her hard and fast and came very close to clipping her in the chin, if she had not jerked her head back in time. 

But Terra did miss the fact that Kano spun quickly and wailed her right in the face with a strong backhand. It made her cry out as she was sent spinning around quickly before getting a strong kick right in the side, sending her flying to the ground.

There were a lot of hisses and even Raiden had winced as he watched Terra struggle to get back up. 

Kano chuckled as he strutted over towards her. "If yeh get too cocky, little girl, yeh get hurt." He remarked now reaching for her. 

Terra held her side but then jerked around quickly and punched him hard in the knee, making him yelp and stagger back as she swept up to her feet. "So don't get cocky." She snapped before sweeping her arms in a familiar way and standing straight. 

"Hey, that's your move." Johnny said looking at Raiden. 

Raiden just smiled now dipping his head down low. His eyes never leaving Terra. "I did teach her, Johnny. And now, Kano is about to get hurt." He remarked in a low voice. 

"Why do you say that?" Sonya asked though she was impressed with how long Terra was lasting against the criminal. 

"Because she is about to pull one of Johnny's moves." Raiden remarked and received a surprised look from the said.

"Wha-?!" Johnny asked surprised. 

Raiden shrugged as he folded his arms and looked proudly onto Terra as she waited for Kano to correct himself. "She did see your movies, Johnny. And she did study a lot under my care in New York." He remarked before nodding them to watch. 

Kano was snarling as he now charged at Terra with the intent to harm her badly for attacking his knee like that. It hurt bad from getting punched the wrong way but he wasn't going to let that stop.......

And just as he reached to throw a punch at her, the girl went down fast and hard into a split, his fist barely skimming through her hair. 

"Oh.......shit......" Johnny remarked now covering his groin and there were hisses right with him as the others recognized what Terra was about to do. 

CRACK!! 

Terra punched out hard and fast, sinking her fist right into the center of Kano's thighs. 

Kano shrieked as he bent over, choking as his family jewels was crushed under quick a strong fist for a young girl such as Terra. 

And if that wasn't enough, Terra whipped her fist back towards her and sent the other one right into his jewels again for another hit. 

Kano choked in a very high pitched squeal as his knees gave out from under him. Hit twice, men were hissing as they covered their own thighs. 

"That's twice. Now the third." Raiden remarked amused. 

He got wide eyed looks from his fellow fighters. 

"Wha-?! Third?!" Jax groaned, wincing heavily. 

Sweeping her feet across the ground, Terra slid her foot right between Kano's legs and flipped hard backwards, kicking upward hard, making Kano squeal loud as he was hit a third time and she was on her feet, spinning on her heel to kick him right in the side.of his head, sending him flipping rapidly across the ground. 

He was not getting back up after three hits to the jewls. 

Terra snapped into a finishing stance before jerking her chin outward. "Concede, Kano. Because there's a whole lot more of that coming if you don't." She said steely.

"Most impressive." Shang Tsung spoke up to save Kano from another round in the nuts if Terra continued. "I suppose you will fit in here. Especially when your master trained you in the style of Nan Chuan. I recognize some of the style. This match is over. The tournament begins tomorrow. And your match will still be the first."

Terra swept up and pressed her fist into her hand, bowing to him before turning and walking to to Raiden, who smiled proudly at her. 

"You're bleeding." The God said now reaching up to wipe her lip where her mouth had been cracked open. 

Terra shrugged. "Small price to pay, I suppose. I've bled worse." She said as she touched her lip from blood. 

"Three times in the nuts though? Yeouch." Jax remarked still wincing as he looked wide eyed at her. 

"You took my Nutcracker move and turned it deadly." Johnny said grimacing. 

Terra laughed, seeing the looks on the guys' face. "Didn't like that, did ya? I call that move the Triple Nutbuster. Double tap when I do it twice and then so on. It keeps guys down from attacking me again. Worked that one out when I got jumped two years ago by some guys who didn't like me winning a cage fight. Sent them to the ER when I was done with them." She said grinning. 

"Most impressive. You're still a novice in Kombat but I think you will do well in the tournament. You may as well survive this." Sub-Zero said as he folded his arms. 

Terra smiled at him, feeling proud of herself. "Thanks, Subs." She said and got an amused look from the ice prince. 

"I suppose we should retire. The tournament will be harsher than ever from now on." Raiden told his fighters and they all started to retreat together. 

"Nice moves. I thinks it going to be a while before Kano gets up. I like it." Sonya said grinning as she now walked with Terra and Kitana. "You're going to do good if you keep that up." 

"Thanks. I got a question though." Terra said and received curious looks from the two ladies. 

"Okay. What's that?" Sonya asked grinning as she noticed Terra looking after of the group of guys ahead. She had a pretty good idea who the girl might have been looking at though as she had followed her eye sight. 

"Is Sub-Zero single? Because he's hot?" Terra asked snickering. 

Both Sonya and Kitana just laughed as they glanced at one another then back at Terra, who was blushing a little bit.

"I don't know about that. I think he's more......COOL then hot. But as far as I know......I don't think he is attached to anyone. But be ware, Terra. He's got an icicle up his ass." Sonya said laughing as she walked it the girl and Kitana, now teasing her a little.


End file.
